Abstract
ABSTRACT Objective: to investigate the compliance to safety barriers adopted in the preparation and administration of intravenous drugs in Pediatric and Pediatric Intensive Care Units. Method: exploratory, observational descriptive study, conducted with the nursing team of a pediatric intensive care unit and a pediatric clinic of a large public hospital in Belo Horizonte, from August to November 2017. Results: the sample consisted of 334 opportunities to observe the preparation and administration of medications in pediatric patients. Most of the actions were performed by female professionals, nursing technicians and civil servants. The professionals did not perform all the necessary safety barriers in any of the procedures. The hygiene of the preparation site, disinfection of the ampoule, connection, conference of the drug/dose/route administered with the prescription and double checking of the drugs were those that had the lowest compliance. Conclusion: the study highlights the fragility regarding compliance to safety barriers in the preparation and administration of medicines, resulting in a risk to the safety of hospitalized children. Continued education based on good practice is believed to be an important strategy for security.
Highlights
The occurrence of adverse events (AEs) in the pediatric professional environment significantly impacts the life of patients and their families, and results in increased morbidity and mortality, hospitalization time and costs for the health system
Among the main AEs are medication errors, defined as a preventable adverse event which occurs at any stage of medication administration, causing harm to the patient
A total of 334 procedures related to the preparation and administration of medications were observed in pediatric patients, performed by 97 nursing team professionals
Summary
The occurrence of adverse events (AEs) in the pediatric professional environment significantly impacts the life of patients and their families, and results in increased morbidity and mortality, hospitalization time and costs for the health system. Among the main AEs are medication errors, defined as a preventable adverse event which occurs at any stage of medication administration, causing harm to the patient. The damage is understood by structural or functional impairment of the body, including disease, injury, suffering, death, disability or dysfunction[1]. Such events may be related to the working conditions and technical-scientific knowledge of professionals[2]. In Brazil, basic protocols were developed for patient safety, including the safety protocol in the prescription, use and administration of medications, aiming to promote safe practices in the use of medications and minimize the occurrence of medication errors and AEs3. Medication errors can be classified as: prescription error, dispensing, omission, schedule, use of unauthorized or deteriorated medications, dosage, presentation, preparation, administration and monitoring[2]
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